COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Old Ale (also known as “Stock” Ale), is a full-bodied beer with high levels of dextrins. In times past, this beer was typically laid up to mature, hence the name. The color varies from rich, dark amber to a very dark brown. This style features fruity, vinuous & deep, malty flavors, giving it an almost port-like qualities. Sight acidity is not uncommon.
Olive, iconic mascot & spirit guide of our brewery, first appeared on our Old Brown Dog label in 1994 & returned, thirteen years later, to pose for our Really Old Brown Dog, a luscious, malt-rich, full bodied “old ale” featuring deep notes of complex fruit. Much like our beloved Olive, this beer will mellow & age gracefully.

2012 Bottle drank in Nov...I think I may have bought it in January. Deep browd with a cream colored head that dispates leaving not much lace. Aroma is reminiscent of a really strong dopplebock...lots of sweetness, fresh dark bread, yeast, ripe bananas, a little spice. The flavor is more similar to the standard Old Brown Dog but ampliified, especially the booze. That is quite forward. It’s sweet malty, earthy, spicy, a hint of pine. The bitterness is muted but does balance it. It’s a bit tannic and buttery. it’s sticky and gritty. An intense beer that could easily be aged much more which would hopefully improve it.

12 oz bottle with a March 2015 bottling date served in a Samuel Adams glass.
Pours slightly hazy, dark mahogany color and a well sized bone-colored head that has good retention.
Full, very smooth body with some alcohol warming and surprisingly lively carbonation.
Lightly sweet with alcohol esters and hints of barrel aging, brown sugar, dried fruits, brown bread, white pepper, mild coffee and faint smoke. The aroma has more pronounced dried fruit and fruitcake notes.

I have tried a couple of Brown Ales now and none of them really make me want to mark this style one of my favorites. Smuttynose was no exception. It was "ok" -- sort of non-descript, middle of the road across the board.

I generally wax poetic about the beers I sample, but I’ll cut to the chase on this one this holiday season. Let’s just say that it’s bourbon-infused heaven on the taste buds for this 11.1-percent sipper on this Christmas eve eve.

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